Expandable dentures

ABSTRACT

An improved set of upper and lower dentures which are expandable, so that upon a slight pressure, when the dentures are compressed in the mouth, there is a greater holding power for retaining the dentures properly in place.

United States Patent Cecero Sept. 24, 1974 [54] EXPANDABLE DENTURES FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS [76] Inventor: Vincent Cece"), 481 Richmond 478,581 6/1929 Germany 32/2 Ave., Staten Island, NY. 10302 [22] Filed: Nov. 6, 1973 Primary Examiner-*Robert Peshock pp No 413 343 Attorney, Agent, or FirmCarl Miller [52 US Cl 32/2 [57] ABSTRACT [51% In.t..CL. 3/00 An improved set of upper and lower dentures which [58] Field 32/2 3 are expandable, so that upon a slight pressure, when the dentures are compressed in the mouth, there is a [56] References Cited greater holding power for retaining the dentures prop- UNITED STATES PATENTS Place' 3,659,344 5/1972 Gauazzi 32/2 1 Claim, 7 Drawing Figures EXPANDABLE DENTURES This invention relates generally to dentures.

It is generally well known that a conventional denture is often uncomfortable and troublesome in being properly retained by a wearer, so that this situation is therefore in want of an improvement.

Accordingly, it is a principle object of the present invention to provide an improved denture wherein upon a slight pressure, when the denture is compressed in the mouth, there is a greater holding power of the denture to the wearer.

Another object is to provide an expandable denture wherein the principle of the present invention is readily applicable to both upper and lower dentures.

Other objects are to provide an expandable denture which is simple in design, inexpensive to manufacture, rugged in construction, easy to use and efficient in operation.

Further objects of the invention will appear as the description proceed.

To the accomplishment of the above and related objects, my invention may be embodied in the form illustrated in the accompanying drawings, attention being called to the fact, however, that the drawings are illustrative only, and that changes may be made in the specific construction illustrated and described within the scope of the appended claims.

FIG. 1 is a diagram representing a conventional upper denture.

FIG. 2 is a diagram of an upper denture that incorporates the present invention.

FIG. 2A is a view in direction 2A-2A of FIG. 2.

FIG. 3 is a diagram of a conventional lower denture.

FIG. 4 is a diagram of a lower denture that incorporates the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a lower denture shown incorporating the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an upper denture shown incorporating the present invention.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, the reference numeral 10 represents diagrammatically in FIG. 1 a conventional upper denture such as is presently being made without the benefit of the present invention, and

which is shown to include a horse shoe shaped row of teeth 11 and a mouth roof pallet 12. In FIG. 3 a conventional lower denture 13 is diagrammatically-represented to include generally horse shoe shaped row of lower teeth 14. As shown by dimension a in FIG. 1 and by dimension [2 in FIG. 3, the distance between the teeth centerline on opposite ends is fixedly constant and does not change at any time.

In the present invention, an upper denture shown diagrammatically in FIG. 2, and a lower denture 16 shown diagrammatically in FIG. 4 show corresponding rows of teeth 11 and 14 respectively, wherein dimensions A and B, corresponding to dimensions a and b of FIGS. 1 and 3, are not constant but are changable due to the dentures 15 and 16 being expandable.

In the present invention, the upper denture 15, has a Y-shaped cut 17 starting at a rear edge of the pallet 18 and is equally spaced from the center line of a median line running down toward the front of the denture, thus Y-shaping any distance along toward the front from the third molar to the cuspid. The Y-cut is such so that when the denture is compressed where the center line of the gun channel lines up with the denter line of the gum, the cut 17 is then completely closed. At the forked ends of the Y-cut 17, an acrylic resin 19 has a workable modulus of resilience and toughness with elastic limit so to retain its character under compression and expansion. The normal denture material is beveled in such a way that the plyable denture material laps against the gum, or the plyable denture material is pre-stretched so that it would not lap against the gum when in both cases the denture is compressed.

The lower denture 16 is provided with an acrylic resin 20 which also has a workable modulus of resilience and toughness as well as elastic limit so to retain its character under compression and expansion. This acrylic resin can be situated anywhere between the cuspid and the first bicuspid going to the back of the denture to between the second and third molar. As above described for the upper denture, the normal denture material is bevelled so the plyable material laps against the gum, or is pre-stretched. Teeth 14 are formed upon a horse-shoe shaped base, as shown in-FIG. 5.

An acrylic resin 21 is of a softer texture than is used normally in dentures in order to minimize abrasion. The acrylic resin 21 protrudes slightly in view that it will give, as is clearly indicated in the diagramatic FIG.

In FIGS. 5 and 6 the pair of lower and upper dentures 16 and 15 are shown in true appearance by incorporating the features that were diagrammatically indicated in FIGS. 2 and 4 respectively.

While certain novel features of my invention have been shown and described and are pointed out in the annexed claims, it will be understood that various omissions, substitutions, and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and in its operation can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a pair of expandable dentures, the combination of an upper and lower denture, each of which incorporates means for resilient expansion and contraction in a transversely sideward direction so that a dimension between a centerline of teeth at each opposite end thereof is changable; said upper denture consisting of a horse-shoe shaped row of teeth and a mouth roof pallet, said pallet having a rear edge aligned with a rear end of said end teeth, said pallet having a straight slit portion that starts at a center of said rear edge and extends forwardly for a substantial portion of said pallet and which at its forward end communicates with a pair of slit portions that extend in opposite angularly rearwardly directions, each of said pair of slit portions being arcuate in configuration, the terminal ends of said pair of slits portions communicating with a portion of said pallet which is made of an acrylic resin having a workable modulus of resistance and toughness with elastic limits; and said lower denture consisting of a horse-shoe shaped row of teeth on a same shaped base, an inner side of the opposite ends of said base being made of a like said acrylic resin and which at its forward end extends transversely across said base. 

1. In a pair of expandable dentures, the combination of an upper and lower denture, each of which incorporates means for resilient expansion and contraction in a transversely sideward direction so that a dimension between a centerline of teeth at each opposite end thereof is changable; said upper denture consisting of a horse-shoe shaped row of teeth and a mouth roof pallet, said pallet having a rear edge aligned with a rear end of said end teeth, said pallet having a straight slit portion that starts at a center of said rear edge and extends forwardly for a substantial portion of said pallet and which at its forward end communicates with a pair of slit portions that extend in opposite angularly rearwardly directions, each of said pair of slit portions being arcuate in configuration, the terminal ends of said pair of slits portions communicating with a portion of said pallet which is made of an acrylic resin having a workable modulus of resistance and toughness with elastic limits; and said lower denture consisting of a horse-shoe shaped row of teeth on a same shaped base, an inner side of the opposite ends of said base being made of a like said acrylic resin and which at its forward end extends transversely across said base. 